Darlings of Chelsea
Panic is Worse Than the Emergency
Self-Released

Darlings of Chelsea, the Toronto band whose members once filled prominent roles in Canuck sleaze rock outfits like The Black Halos, Robin Black, Kill Cheerleader, and CJ Sleez, have got that stone cold, leather n’ booze sound pinned down and crowned. Their full-length debut, Panic is Worse Than the Emergency, follows 2009′s EP, The Mimico Sessions, and offers a full slate of sing-along bruisers amped for prime time, the kind of dingy club fun that plays insanely well from London to Stockholm and all low points in between. Despite its junkie charms, however, there’s not a song on Panic is Worse Than the Emergency that isn’t a slick, million dollar ride, each one sparked by electric riffs, biting solos, and addictive hooks. It’ll remind you of Gluecifer, Bloodlights, The Hellacopters, D-Generation, and the Chelsea Smiles, among others, thanks to the way it seamlessly blends gritty alt-punk, sugary pop, and five alarm arena rock, or you might compare it to a swift, Chuck-footed kick to crotch — if you’ve ever had the dirty pleasure.

Stream Panic is Worse Than the Emergency right here!

Blood Ceremony
Living With the Ancients
Rise Above

It’s been three years since Toronto’s Blood Ceremony drew us into their sect of satyrs with their self-titled debut, binding us to dungeon walls until such a time our sacrifice was desired, and it seems that moment has indeed arrived. Sorcerers of retro ritual rock, Blood Ceremony lay down doom-powered riffs over top hellfire organ, but their weapon of choice is the dark mistress Alia O’Brien, whose mastery of voice and flute are the spells that bind and hypnotize. Like its predecessor, Living With the Ancients is a bone-carved chalice overflowing with the fog of a pagan prog potion, and where one ends with a hymn to Pan the other begins with another such ode to the great half-man, half-goat God, thus continuing the sacred bloodline of influence and imagery that courses through all they do. You’ll also find demons, witches, hermits, magicians, ancient Roman priests, and W. Somerset Maugham’s caricature of Aleister Crowley at this monster’s ball, a medieval European masquerade not unlike the pentagram parties thrown by The Devil’s Blood, Ghost, Year of the Goat, Witchcraft, and so on. So, go ahead, offer yourself up to Blood Ceremony’s wicked ways. You’ll be glad you did.

Listen to “My Demon Brother” from Living With the Ancients!

The Best Canadian Albums of the Year

Canada is home to some of the best fucking bands in the world. Sorry, that outburst wasn’t very politely Canadian of me, but it’s fucking true. I’ve got the proof right here, ten times over. I’d crank any one of these albums while I’m watching the hockey game. I can’t bring myself to rank ‘em because, well, I’m just so goddamn proud of all of ‘em, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time get to know ‘em right now. Here then, in alphabetical order, is this year’s cream of the Canadian crop. Oh, and that crop also includes a case of Pil and some weed.

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